Shower pan drain



Nov. 29, 1966 R. R. GADDls 3,287,742

SHOWER PAN DRAIN Filed April 13, 1964 I NVENTOR.

RA Y R. 61440271 5 TTOR, EV

United States jatent 'a 3,287,742 SHOWER PAN DRAHN Ray R. Gaddis, 2646Miriam Lane, Decatnr, Ga. Filed Apr. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 359,302 4Clarns. (Cl. 4-191) This invention relates to a shower pan drain andparticularly to drain arrangement adapted to be attached to aconventional P-trap and also to the drain in the bottom of a shower toprevent the common occurence of seeping or leaking which normallyoccurs.

Showers that are installed in upstairs rooms present problems withrespect to seepage or leaking suficiently to discolor the ceiling ofrooms below or at times so great as to cause actual water damage tofurniture and fixtures in the rooms. Although a shower is usuallyconstructed with a lead shower pan in the bottom covered by a suitablecovering such as tile or any other preferred covering, a problem hasexisted for some time with respect to the water drain in the bottom ofthe shower pan which necessarily must be there to conduct the water intothe drain trap. Insuiicient sealing has existed for some time withrespect to these drains and this has resulted in the water problemmentioned above. The present invention is particularly suitable formodifying the existing drains and to correct the water problem once ithas presented itself. However, it is to be understood that the presentarrangement may be used from the very beginning in new installations.

Generally described, without restriction on the scope of my invention,it is so arrangedias to be used in conjunction with an ordinary showerpan sometimes constructed from soft lead in which there is located adrain opening normally having positioned therein a tapered drain fixtureleading to a pipe attached thereto. The present invention comprises acylindrical drain housing which may be constructed large cylindrical,copper tubing or the like of such diameter as to be larger than theoutside diameter of both the drain Outlet and the external diameter ofthe drain opening in the bottom of the shower pan. The bottom of thecylindrical housing is provided with a closed taped, tapered Cap portionthat tapers to conventional drain outlet size which is usually a twoinch copper pipe. The bottom of the housing is a closed pipe outletslightly larger than the usual trap fitting and the trap fitting isreceived into this outlet or vice versa. Brazed, or otherwise attachedto the inside of the cylindrical housing and transversely anddiametrically thereacross is a shower fitting bridge or bracket memberhaving a small opening in the center thereof which is approxirnately inthe longitudinal center of the cylindrical housing and receiving thereinan elongated metal dowel rod which in installation is extended upthrough the bottom of the shower drain. The shower bridge or bracket hasa threaded member in the center thereof receiving said dowel andretaining same in place and the upper end of the dowel rod receives asmaller bracket which fits across the inside of the shower drain and isheld in place by a nut or other threaded fitting. The top periphery ofthe cylindrical housing is flared or otherwise provided with a ledge onwhich is fitted a wide, soft gasket member of fabric, fiber or plasticand the like which contacts the underside of the. shower pan. With thepresent device installed, the dowel rod is tightened through threadedfittings to pull the entire cylindrical housing tightly against thebottom of the pan and against the gasket thereby providing a housinginclosing all of the bottom of the shower drain and collecting anyseepage or water which can leak therefrom.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a shower drainarrangement which incloses the drain and collects water therebelow.

3287342 Patented Nov. 29, 1966 ICC A further object of this inventionresides in the construction of a shower drain housing which covers allof the underside of the drain thereby collecting all Water which eXiststherefrom.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tight closurearrangernent for a shower drain fitting to collect all water whicheXists from the drain and prevents unwanted accumulation, leakage orseepage.

Another object of this invention is to seal the underside of a showerdrain with a closed fitting that leads to the drain outlet.

Another object of this invention resides in the construction of thepresent shower drain fitting whereby it may be attached to the existingshower drain pan fitting and pressure installed inthis manner.

Other and further objects andl advantages of my invention will appearfrom reading the following specification taken in conjunction with theaccompanying` drawings, in which:

PIG. l is a top plan view of the present shower drain attachment removedfrom the shower pan and prior to installation.

PIG. 2 is a side elevation view with a portion broken away showing thepresent invention of PIG. 1 installed and placed on a conventionalshower pan and' drain arrangement.

It is to be undcrstood that while I show a typical sort of shower panand drain arrangernent, this is for purpose of iilustrating a commonproblem and does not constitute any sort of limitation on the presentinvention because there are many other types of installations where thepresent invention can be used-both new installations and oldinstallations.

Referring initially to the present invention shown in FIG. 1 in which isrepresented overall by reference nurneral 1%, a cylindrical housing 12is constructed from copper or other durable material and is provided atthe top with a ledge 13 in the form of a channel member in which will bepositioned. a gasket member 16 constructed from plastic, treatedfabricor other lasting and compressible material. Cylindrical housing 14 isconstructed of a diameter larger' than the entire drain opening andfitting 18 normally found in a typical shower installation in' thebottom of a lead shower pan 20 or other bottom member. The bottom ofcylindrical housing .M tapers in a frustroconical manner at 22, inclosedand sealed construction throughout, to an Outletv pipe 24 which in thepresent invention is siightly 'larger in internal diameter than the pipe26 of a conventional P-trap 28 and a pressure fitting 30.

The inside 32 of cylindrical housing 14* is provided with a diametricalbracket member 34" which is a fiat piece of narrow metal such as copperor the like having its ends welded or brazed at 36 to the inside surfaceof the housing 14. The center 38 of bracket 34 has an opening thereinwhich may be th'readed to receive the threaded end' of a thread'ed studor'th'readed dowel rod 40 and a pair of fastening nuts 42 located onopposite sides of bracket 34 which allows a selec'tive' attachment. Theupper end of rod 4B extends through the outlet pipe 46 of the usualdrain fitting 48 which has a tapered interior 50 and which is usuallyconstructed from coated or plated metal with some sort of grill outletportion or the like.

An upper bracket or attachment member 52 which is a flat strip of metalhas the ends thereof in abutment with the tapered interior 54- of outletfitting 48 and has a center opening 56 therein which may be threaded toreceive the upper end of rod 40 on which on opposite sides of bracket 52there is positioned a pair of nuts 58.

It is obvious that various arrangements may be reversed from the presentone shown, for example,vpipe 24 can be smaller than pipe 26 and fittherein instead of thereover.

The present device is of such length that normally it can be insertedbetween the already installed shower pan 20 and the already installedP-trap 28 by shortening as necessary the piece of connecting pipe 26.With the nuts 42 and 58 loosened, the housing 14 is pushed into place byhand with the gasket 16 tight against the bottom of the pan to bring theupper end of the threaded rod 40 through the bracket 52 which has beeninserted from the top into the inside 51tof fittting 48 and to bring therod 40 through the opening 56 at which time the nut 58 is screwed intoplace. Then, suitable tension may be made on the housing 14 by adjustingnuts 58 and 42 until a tight fit has been obtained pulling the brackets52, 34 closer together under pressure by the adjustment of therespective nuts 42 and 58 at the same time pulling the gasket 16 tightlyinto engagement with the underside of pan 20.

In the installed position of FIG. 2 it is apparent that all water whichseeps or leaks from the pan 20 down around, through or in any othermanner in association with drain 18 will be collected into the interior32 of the housing 14 and necessarily will stay in the inside until iteXits through the trap 28. Thus, water seepage and leakage whichpreviously has managed to exit around, through and by the drain outlet46 are now prohibited from getting outside of the housing 14 therebypreventing the buildup which previously had injured ceilings or damagedfurniture or fixtures.

While I have shown and described a particular ernbodiment of myinvention together with a suggested application thereof in a particularinstance for a certain type of installation, this is by way ofillustration only and does not constitute any sort of limitation on thescope of my invention since various alterations, changes, d'eviations,eliminations, ramifications and variations may be made in the embodimentshown and described without departing from the scope of my invention asshown in the -appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a shower drain outlet which includes a conventional shower bottompan and drain opening in which is mounted a drain fitting:

(a) a large cylindrical housing of such diameter as to be larger thanthe shower drain opening and any fittings positioned therein,

(b) a gasketon the upper end of said housing fitting accurately aroundthe upper end of said housing and being fitted to the underside of theshower bottom,

(c) an outlet on said housing fitted to an outlet pipe,

(d) means on said housing for attaching a pressure adjustment memberthereto,

(e) means on said shower pan for attaching the pressure adjustmentthereto,

(f) and a pressure adjustment member mounted between said pressureadjustment attachment means on said shower pan and being adjustable toforce said cylindrical housing upper and gasket against the underside ofsaid shower bottom.

2. In a shower drain outlet which includes a conventional shower bottompan and drain opening in which is mounted a drain fitting:

(a) a closed housing having an open top upper end being larger than thebottom of shower drain open ing and any fittings positioned therewith,

(b) a sealing means on the upper end of said housing being fitted to theunderside of the shower bottom about said drain opening,

(c) an Outlet on said housing fitted to an outlet pipe,

(d) said sealing means being adjustable by pressure to conform to theunderside of the shower bottom pan to seal same tightly against Waterleaks,

(e) and a pressure adjustment means mounted between said housing andsaid shower pan and being adjustable' to force said housing upper endand sealing means against the underside of said shower bottom.

3. In a shower drain outlet which includes a conventional shower bottompan and drain opening leading to the drain system,

(a) a housing having an open top upper end of such size as to be largerthan the bottom shower drain opening and any fittings positionedtherein,

(b) a means on the upper end of said housing adjustable by pressure tofit accurately with the upper end of said housing and being fitted tothe underside of the shower bottom to seal same,

(c) an outlet on said housing fitted to an outlet pipe,

(d) means on said housing for attaching a pressure adjustment memberthereto,

(e) means on said shower pan for attaching the pressure adjustmentthereto,

(f) and an adjustable means between said pressure adjustment attachmentmeans on said housing and said pressure adjustment attachment means onsaid shower pan and being adjustable to force said housing upper endgasket against the underside of said shower bottom.

4. In a shower drain outlet which includes a conventional shower bottompan drain opening in which is mounted a drain fitting:

(a) a closed drain housing of such size as to be larger than the showerdrain opening and any fittings positioned therein, and having an opentop upper end and an Outlet in the bottom,

(b) a gasket means on the upper end of said housing fitting accuratelyaround the upper end of said housing and being fitted to the undersideof the shower bottom,

(c) the outlet on said housing being fitted to an outlet pipe,

(d) means on said housing for attaching adjustment member thereto,

(e) means on said shower pan for attaching the pressure adjustmentthereto,

(f) and a pressure adjustment member mounted between said pressureadjustment attachment means on said housing and said pressure adjustmentattachment means on said shower pan and gasket against the underside ofsaid shower bottom.

a pI'CSSllfC References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS2,278,566 4/ 1942 Schaible. 2,739,3 17 3/1956 Abresch 4 l91 F OREIGNPATENTS 247,320 9/ 1966 Australia.

J 'LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

H. GROSS, Examner.

1. IN A SHOWER DRAIN OUTLET WHICH INCLUDES CONVENTIONAL SHOWER BOTTOMPAN AND DRAIN OPENING IN WHICH IS MOUNTED A DRAIN FITTING: (A) A LARGECYLINDRICAL HOUSING OF SUCH DIAMETER AS TO BE LARGER THAN THE SHOWERDRAIN OPENING AND ANY FITTINGS POSITIONED THEREIN, (B) A GASKET ON THEUPPER END OF SAID HOUSING FITTING ACCURATELY AROUND THE UPPER END OFSAID HOUSING AND BEING FITTED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE SHOWER BOTTOM, (C)AN OUTLET ON SAID HOUSING FITTED TO AN OUTLET PIPE, (D) MEANS ON SAIDHOUSING FOR ATTACHING A PRESSURE ADJUSTMENT MEMBER THERETO, (E) MEANS ONSAID SHOWER PAN FOR ATTACHING THE PRESSURE ADJUSTMENT THERETO,